I'm a Balsall Heathen - and lived at 1 back of 49 (1/49), a Benacre Street back-to-back and attended Hope street school until around 1965 when the City Planners in their profound wisdom decided to rid the city of its slums by building new ones in their place and scattering our community like seeds across the extrended Birmingham area.Benacre Street is gone now as is the half of Hope Street that my school stood in - both buried beneath the 'new' estate.Now and again their ghosts call to me and I long to see photo's of both my street and the old school just to prove to myself that they really did exist. Can anybody help?

hi dave welcome to our forum you have come to the right place we have photos of hope street and benacre street Phil our resident brum photo collector will put some up for you have a look at our brum history threads you may find some on there but any way welcome enjoy our forum a lot of us went to hope street in the late 40 50 and 60 so you may find some old class mates Roy

Hi Roy,Thanks for the welcome and I look forwards to seeing the photo's.For anybody who might think they know me I lived in Benacre street (and attended Hope Street School from infants through to sixth year level) 1956-1965 ish.Thanks again.

I went to Hope St seniors 61/65 knew lots of people, don't recognise your name, but i'm not good at remembering names, Josie Wynn Benacre St the Ward's, Lloyds, any of them ring a bell, when i started Mr Drayton was head, he left and we had Mr Benson,

Hi Roy,I don't recall that name. I lived on the bit of Benacre Street between Pershore Rd and Gooch St, opposite the scrap merchants and on the right hanbd side near to Pershore Road end when looking up the street towards Pershore Rd.Surnames of some of the folk who lived in my part of the street whom I still remember are: Dell, Burley, Mitchell, Jellys, Collier, Crawford, Titchen, amongst others.Oh and of course Turners the papershop on the Benacre St/Gooch St corner.

Hi Janey,The Lloyds and the Wards ring a loud enough bell - but I'm unsure about Josie WynnTeachers I recall:Stanley Burgess (Art) - who shocked us all in the 5th year by insisting we called him Stan from the first day he took our class - everyone else was miss or sir...Miss Hughes (Religious Education) [whom I was deeply in love with as only a twelve year old boy can be though i doubt she knew that - unless she is still around to read this of course]: others were: Mr Drayton, Mr Clemence, Mr Green, Mr Benson.There are others I can't recall just now, but I'd know them if they were mentioned... my memory on names and faces isn't so good either.I was in classes 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 then 4.1 respectively throughout my time at Hope St.I still recall the huge hall with the high roofand the wonderful 'rose' window at the far end and the balcony that gave access to the upper classrooms.My sister Diane was in the year above me all through school (same year as you would have been in I think) and I'm sure all her old teachers were quite perplexed by the difference between my sister and I - Diane was the clever one - head girl, etc, etc. Me? Not so clever by half, though I did get to be a Prefect and a Librarian for a year or so in my last couple of years there. Thanks for stirring the memories

Thank you so much for those photo's - the first one looks just like the yard I used to live in - same type of house, 3 rooms straight up and a cellar.Apologies also if I confused you or anybody else I meant Sherlock Street whenever I mentioned Pershore Road! I blame age for that one.I will certainly do a search for Hope st.The annual 'Onion Fair' was the big event of each and every year and took place on Sherlock St. usually on the bomb-peck just above our road or on the one above St. Lukes Rd.Happy days.

Hello David, Mr Burgess, i remember well, our RE teacher i recall Miss Horton,English Mr Green, Mr Wilson, history Miss Chandelor or Chancelor. my friend Irene Wynne lived in one of those yards on the photos, she left at about 12yrs,school clinic in Benacre St and the annexe of course, i remember that little shop on the corner,

Hi Janey,You spotted my deliberate mistake - It was Miss Houghton of course - I don't know where I got Hughes from (probably the Welsh connection) - I believe I still have a photo of her that I took on a school trip to Cheddar Gorge when I was about 13. I am sure I also still have a poem I wrote about/for her...I was often up the School Clinic for teeth (I broke many of them in a school playground incident involving a water fountain when I was about 12) along with my good friend 'Daysey' who used to go up for sun-lamp treatments.Oh, and I do remember Mr Wilson too.I though it was Miss Challenor, but I could be wrong on that one.Must check with my Sister about Irene Wynne - Diane has a much better memory than me.